#His head is shaped that way so the dunce cap fits

[adh-d2]

I cannot get over the hilarity that is Ki Adi Mundi.

He's 300 years old. He's 45. He hasn't had a correct opinion in his life. He's a high council member who canonically fucks. He's just some guy.

Dude openly has a harem of wives in an order that forbids marriage and somehow still manages to be the most boring jedi who ever lived.

He's appeared in 3 of the movies, dozens of TV episodes, and more legends content than I care to count. He's still nobody's favourite jedi.

He's terrible. I'm obsessed with him.

[viking-raider]

Mission Impossible: Love *Anon Request*

Summary: Henry has been trying everything he can to get you to realize he’s hopelessly in love with you, as you both work on Mission Impossible: Fallout. But, you are oblivious to a lot of it, worried he’d never love a plus sized woman, like yourself.

Pairing: Henry Cavill/Reader

Word Count: 2,935

Rating: Fluff, Puppy!Henry and PlusSized!Reader

Inspiration: Anon Request (x)

Author’s Note: Who wouldn’t!

Tag List: @jennylovelyheart, @peakygroupie, @jessevans​ @MITZWINCHESTER @rosie-loves-things​, @ohjules​, @mary-ann84​, @omgkatinka​, @hm-fck​, @the-freak-cassie-131​, @heelsamizayn​, @agniavateira, @cap-barnes​

Henry licked his lips as he watched you from across the room, the stars of a love sick puppy sparkling in his blue eyes. He was so hopelessly in love with you, and had been since pre-production. He'd been hinting at it for the last four months the two of you worked together on Mission Impossible, he'd hope you get it by now. He had brought you flowers on the first day of production, you melted as you smelled them and thanked him for them, and virtually socked him in the stomach, when you told him what a good friend he was for thinking of you. He'd invited you to be his special date for one of the award shows he had to attend, and you were ecstatic at the prospect of it. It wasn't every day you got to put on a fancy dress, get all glammed up for something so important. You thought nothing of it as Henry held your hand from the limo and down the red carpet to the venue doors. You thought about it for a split second, when he kept holding your hand, as you both made your way to the seats you would be occupying. But, the thought didn't last long enough for you to process, because you got enthralled by how amazing the venue looked. Henry pulled out every subtle, and not so subtle, hint and clue he could think of to get you to notice him, and how much he was in love with you. He was starting to feel desperate at this point.

“She still not notice you, all but swooning, over her, Henry?” Simon Pegg asked, coming up behind him.

“Not a fucking blink.” Henry sighed, like a deflated balloon. “I even cooked her dinner last night.”

A huge smile broke out over Simon's face, and he roared with laughter. “You made her dinner!” He giggled, everyone from the movie stars to the gate attendant at the entrance of the filming studio outside, knew Henry Cavill was head over heels in love with you, but you still managed to oblivious.

“Yeah.” Henry nodded, turning his head to Englishman. “I had Michelle, covertly, ask her what her favorite food was, like a week or so ago, and then surprised her with it last night.”

Simon's face turned even redder as he tried to bite back another roar of laughter. “Co-vert-ly.” He choked out, between short bursts of laughter. “This movie is really getting to your head, Cavill.” He snorted, then lost it, doubling over, his hands slapping his knees. “Mission Impossible: Love!”

“What in the world is happening over here?” Ving Rhames asked, drawn over by the look of desperation on Henry's face and Simon wheezing from laughing so hard.

“Henry here,” Simon gasped, straightening up and holding his side. “Covertly, asked Michelle to find out what y/n's favorite food was, then made it for her.”

“Are you still trying to get that girl to notice you?” Ving asked, grinning at Henry, just as amused by him trying to pull out all the stops and shower you with as much of his charm, as he could. “Why don't you just go up to her, and tell her you're in love with her?”

“Cause Henry wants to be romantic.” Simon teased him, giving him goo goo eyes. “And he's too shy to admit it out loud.” He added, dodging out of the way as Henry's fist took a swipe at him. “It took a month for him to finally admit it to us.” He said, hiding behind Ving.

“I can only guess what this discussion is about,” Tom's voice called, joining the three of them. “But, the way Simon's hiding behind Ving, and you're redder than hell face, Henry. I'm guessing it's your girl, over there.” He said, motioning to you with his head.

“She's not my girl.” Henry huffed, as the three of them ribbed him over it. “Yet.” He added with a pout, as he watched you walk out of the sound-stage.

“Look, Henry.” Tom sighed, feeling bad for him. “You've been trying to tell her, you're in love with her, every way possible, minus, the one way that really makes it hard for her to miss.”

“And what way is that?” Henry asked, hanging onto his every word, he'd take a suggestion from a cereal box, if he thought it help him out.

Tom rested his hand on Henry's broad shoulder, and looked him dead in the eye. “You just walk up to her and tell her this,” he dragged it out, Ving and Simon snorting back giggles. “Y/n, I'm in love with you.”

All three of them started laughing at him, even making a couple of the crew members laugh, even though they didn't know why. Henry growled, frustrated and raked a hand through his short hair as they kept laughing at him. He wanted to be romantic, it was something Henry enjoyed doing when he was in love. But, he'd never had such a hard time getting a woman to notice his charm. Hell, most women would have noticed him, even if he wasn't trying to charm them. You were completely different though, he never felt so friend-zoned in his life.

“You know, she does like you, you know.” Rebecca told him a while later, as she sat next to him in the food tent, they'd spent most of the morning filming the bathroom scene.

“What?” Henry croaked, choking on his sip of water.

“Y/n.” She clarified, casually eating her food. “She's got a huge crush on you, and has for quite sometime from what I understand, before you two even met in pre-production.”

Henry looked at Rebecca with large and surprised blue eyes. “She does?” He squeaked, in a small voice, in total disbelief. “Then, why hasn't she noticed me?” He asked, when she nodded her head.

“Well, one,” Rebecca started, pushing her plate away from her. “You're being way more subtle than you think you're being. Two, She doesn't think someone like you, could ever like someone like her.” She explained to him.

“Why, because I'm a celebrity?” he asked, concerned and looking around the tent for you.

Rebecca chuckled, shaking her head at him. “No, you dunce.” She grinned. “She's worried because she's a plus sized woman, and you're a...” Rebecca looked Henry over, he was still in his costume, a very well fitting suit, where his dress shirt's buttons strained every time he moved, even the smallest bit. “God.”

Henry turned back around to her, shocked at this information. “She thinks I wouldn't love her, because of her body?” he asked, his stomach and heart twisting at the idea you felt that way.

“Yeah.” Rebecca nodded. “Most men are.”

“I'm not most men.” Henry replied, hurt that you were afraid of that.

“And, She's not most women, Henry.” Rebecca told him, patting him on the back as she got up to go. “I get you want to be romantic and all that, but sometimes the most romantic thing you can do for a woman, especially one that may not have a load of confidence, is to be straightforward and honest with her.”

Henry sat there in the food tent, mulling Rebecca's words over and the information that you had a crush on him. He was starting to see her, Tom, Ving, Simon and Michelle were right, his subtlety wasn't working whatsoever. He needed to change tactics on how to express to you that he was in love with you, and didn't care that you were a plus sized woman, that you were perfect and beautiful as you are, especially to him. He looked around at the still bustling tent and saw you eating with Michelle.

“Hey, Henry.” Simon called, sliding into a chair in front of him, Ving and Tom joining him. “Decided to eat y/n for lunch?” he chuckled.

“You know what,” Henry said, getting up out of his chair and walked over to the table you were sitting at. “Y/n.” He said your name with a confident conviction, startling you out of your conversation with Michelle, and look up at him.

“Henry.” You smiled shyly at him, gulping.

It was the look in your eyes that told Henry that he'd missed your own subtle hints of trying to tell him you were in love with him, as well. As stupid as it made him feel to realize he'd missed them, he felt so incredibly relieved to see it, it galvanized him, “I have something I need to tell you.” He told you, in a clear voice.

“Okay,” You nodded, standing up. “Is there somew...”

“I'm in love with you, y/n.” He told you, catching you off guard, and causing the entire tent to go quiet and look at the pair of you. “I've been trying to tell you in a bunch of subtle ways that I am in love with you; the flowers I gave you, asking you to be my date for the academy awards, asking Michelle to find out what you like to eat and making it for you,” he blushed at Michelle, who winked at him and gave him a nod of encouragement.

“You got this, Superman!” Simon yelled from behind him.

He bit his lips, blushing, as were You. “The surprise birthday gift you got,” he coughed, clearing his throat. “was from me, y/n.” he admitted, and his eyes growing, as you took the heart shaped necklace with your birthstone, out from underneath your shirt. It made him smile knowing you liked it enough to wear it. “You like it, then?” he asked, proudly.

“I love it.” You told him, closing your hand around it. “Like, I love you, Henry.” You admitted, as well.

“That is...amazing.” He beamed, feeling like he was rocketing to the moon, he was so happy. “Would you like to have dinner, properly, with me?” he asked, biting the corner of his lip, again.

You glanced around, feeling every pair of eyes in the room on you and Henry, but you didn't care, as your eyes met his. “I would, absolutely, love that.” You glowed at him, sharing his over the moon happiness.

The whole tent erupted in applause, making you wonder how many of the people working with you and Henry knew, what the two of you hadn't known, all along. You both blushed seriously hard the rest of the lunch break. Henry had moved over to your table, sitting next to you. He was like the puppy you'd got for Christmas, he was so happy and actively talking to you and giving you every bit of his attention, and energy. Simon, Ving and Tom also moved over to your table with him, and all of them enjoyed teasing you and Henry about how long it took you two to get around and finally admitting you were in love, and reminiscing about all the times one of you did something silly to try and show your affection, or just try and get your attention.

“I'm telling you!” Simon laughed, as he told you the story of one of those moments. “The first time he did the arm reload thing, it was completely improvised. But, the minute Henry found out you thought it was cute, he kept doing it every take after that.”

“Oh my god.” You bubbled with laughter and grinned at Henry as he sat next to you, grinning like the guilty boy he was.

“Oh, that's like when y/n heard you liked that one shirt of hers, Henry.” Michelle chuckled, making you gasp at her, faking betrayal. “You washed that shirt every day for a week!” She outed you.

“Oh, fuck you!” You laughed, blushing for the millionth time. “I thought you were on my side!”

“We've all been on the side of getting you two romantic geeks together!” Simon shouted out, another wave of laughter rippled through the table. “I was seriously starting to thinking about forging love letters and sending them to the both of you!”

“That was my idea!” Michelle barked, crumpling up her napkin and tossing it at Simon's head.

“I thought about having McQuarrie land the two of you in one of our remote locations and not lifting you back til you confessed.” Tom laughed, leaning back in his seat to dodge the flying napkin. “McQuarrie was totally on board with it too.”

“Is there anyone that doesn't know!?” Henry demanded, looking around the table.

“Man, the parking attendant across the street, even knows ya'll are in love.” Ving chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.

You and Henry looked at each other, shaking your heads and grinning at each other. You felt your heart flutter as Henry rested his hand gently on your knee, under the table. You bit your lip, resting your hand on his and carefully resting your shoulder against his.

“We start filming again in ten, guys!” One of the producers called, standing in the opening of the tent.

A collective grumble sounded through the tent and people started shifting, finishing the last of their food, getting up to throw their plates away and funneling out of the tent and back to their places and tasks for the rest of the day's filming. You and Henry were the last two people in the tent, still sitting super close to each other, his hand still on your knee and your hand still on his.

“I really enjoyed the dinner you, covertly, made me last night.” You chuckled, tracing your fingertips over the top of his hand. “There's one other person that I know that came make it that good, my mum, and then there's the restaurant I discovered it at.” You blushed, babbling.

Henry smiled, sweetly at you, his stomach full of butterflies. “I'm glad, that I was able to perfect it.” he said, turning his hand, palm up, to thread his fingers with yours. “I only had to google the recipe three times, and watch a youtube video.” He admitting, chuckling nervously.

“I'm really sorry about missing all your hints.” You told him, pressing your lips together.

“I am sorry about missing yours, as well, y/n.” Henry sighed, licking his lips and meeting your eyes. “Guess I was too caught up trying to get you to see me.”

“I was rather, busy, trying to ignore you to some degree.” You said, shyly, brushing a hand through your hair.

“Because you thought, I wouldn't love you.” He said, softly, and giving your hand a small squeeze.

“Look at you.” You told him, motioning to him with your free hand and feeling your insides quiver. “And, look at me.” You motioned to yourself, frowning.

“Y/n, no.” Henry shook his head, his other hand resting on your chin, lifting your head so you looked at him again. “You are beautiful to me, y/n. You have been since I first saw, and you will always be, until I no longer breathe.”

“Henry.” You whispered, quietly, moving in closer to him and closing your eyes, feeling the warmth of his body so close to yours, and his soft warm breath against your skin.

“Let me prove it to you, y/n.” He whispered back, leaning his face nearer to yours. “Tonight. My place, in London. I'll cook you, whatever you want, and we'll watch whatever you want to watch, or whatever else you want to do.”

“And, what do you want to do, Henry?” You asked, batting your eyelashes at him.

Henry grinned. “I want you. I want you to be happy. I want to see you smile and hear you laugh, to be yourself, unafraid. I want you to know that I love you, for you.” he confessed, brushing his knuckles against your cheek.

“You made me my favorite food for dinner, last night.” You reasoned with him. “Why don't you make your favorite food tonight?”

“Hm.” Henry hummed, rubbing his lips together as he thought about it. “Something with curry, definitely.” He chuckled, nodding his head. “What about a movie?”

“I love the movie, the scent of a woman.” You told him, resting your hand on his thigh.

“I've never seen it.” Henry told you, quietly.

“It's a really good movie with Al Pacino and Chris O'Donnell.” You assured him. “I think, you'll like it.”

Henry smiled at you, caressing your cheek and neck. “I'll trust you on that.”

“Henry,” an assistant called, appearing in the tent entrance. “We're starting filming again, you're needed on set.”

Sighing, Henry nodded, reluctant to move away from you. But, you smiled at him, leaning in closer to him and kissed his cheek, feeling his skin warm against your lips.

“I'll see you tonight.” You told him, getting up and chuckling at him as he didn't let go of your hand until you moved away from him.

He watched you go, totally in disbelief that he was going to have you, in his house, tonight for dinner and a movie. He threw up his hands as the assistant told him again, he was going to be late for his cue, and got up to follow them out, his mind racing about the coming night, and the endless teasing he was going to get from the cast, until then.

[itsworn]

Fired Up: Battery Cable Upgrade on a 1967 Dodge Dart

We recently purchased a low-mileage 1967 Dart from Albany, New York. Over the years, electrical systems tend to be updated, either by a genius or a dunce, and the previous owner (fifth titleholder) had plenty of problems with the battery, starting, and charging systems on the Dart. His fix for the problems consisted of a new battery and limited usage of the Dart. Seeing that the Dart was rust-free, which is a rare occurrence in the Northeast, we jumped on the chance to purchase it, even with the wiring concerns.

Once the Dart was in our garage in Pennsylvania, we performed a visual inspection of the electrical wiring, and along the way, we developed a game plan to fix the Dart. Although the 273 engine would start, the large, gear-reduction starter motor labored greatly to crank the low-compression engine. The battery was only four months old, and while there was a possibility of it being bad, we felt that was improbable (testing would later confirm our belief). The battery cables weren’t the factory cables, and the cable ends at the battery were bolt-on temporary ends. The battery tray was in poor shape, and the hold-down was a cheap aftermarket setup that failed to hold the battery securely. Without any testing, we knew we needed a pair of battery cables, a battery tray, and a battery hold-down. We checked the Classic Industries website, and they had all the reproduction parts we needed. Before we ordered the parts, we tested the electrical systems to determine if any other electrical gremlins existed on our Dart.

To test our wiring, we needed a multimeter, a jumper wire, a remote starter button, and a SUN Voltage/Amperage Tester (VAT)-40 or equivalent load device to analyze the battery, starting, and charging systems. The battery was the first to be tested. If the battery had failed, it would have to be replaced before any other testing. If the testing continued with a failed battery, all the other test results would be invalid. To test the battery, we attached the positive and negative leads from the VAT-40 to their corresponding terminals on the battery. We installed the inductive pickup from the VAT-40 around the negative lead from the VAT. The lead acid battery voltage was 12.4 volts, which was within the specifications of 12.4 to 12.6 volts. If the battery voltage was below 12.4 volts, the battery would require a deep recharge before it could be tested. On the other hand, if the battery voltage was over 12.6 volts, turning on the headlamps for 30 to 60 seconds (engine off) would drop the voltage to the acceptable range. Our battery had a cold cranking amperage (CCA) rating of 550 amps (at 0 degrees F). To use the VAT-40, the CCA rating was divided by two, and that amperage value was loaded onto the battery by manually rotating the load knob on the VAT-40. The knob applied an external load via a carbon pile to the circuit. The load was applied to the battery for 15 seconds with the battery voltage remaining at 9.6 volts or greater (if the fully charged battery voltage dropped below 9.6 volts during testing, the battery failed). In our case, we loaded the battery to 275 amps, and after 15 seconds, the battery voltage was 10.0 volts. This test eliminated the battery as a problem for our slow cranking speed.

The next test we performed was a starter draw test, which indicates how many amps are required by the starter to crank an engine. To perform this test, the VAT-40 inductive pickup had to be moved to the Dart’s negative (or positive) battery cable. A second requirement for this test was to disable the fuel or spark so the engine would crank but not start. With most of our older Mopars, the secondary coil wire can be pulled from the distributor and grounded to an unpainted metal surface via a jumper wire. With the VAT-40 properly setup and the coil wire grounded, we turned the ignition key, and the starter engaged and slowly whirled the engine over. After the voltage and amperage settled on the gauges of the VAT-40 (about 6 to 8 seconds), we noted the voltage and amperage readings. The factory shop manual (FSM) listed the voltage at 11 volts, and the amperage between 155 to 180 amps. Our readings were 10.5 volts and 150 amps, so both of these numbers were below the specifications. The low numbers and the slow cranking speed concerned us, but none were extreme, so we noted our concerns, reattached the coil wire, and moved to the charging system.

To test the charging output, we left the VAT-40 leads in the same position on the battery as they were for the starter test. Our charging system had been updated with an electronic voltage regulator and a later-model alternator. The engine was started, the rpm was fine-tuned to 2,000 rpm, and the open circuit (no load) voltage was noted. We twisted the knob on the VAT-40 to apply the carbon pile load on the charging system. The load was adjusted to bring the system charging voltage down to 12 volts, thus forcing the alternator to apply the maximum amperage to the charging circuit, attempting to supply the amperage necessary to meet the electrical system needs. Our no-load voltage was 13.32 volts, and the amperage was 34 amps with the load applied. The no-load voltage should’ve been between 13.5 to 15 volts at the battery. The amperage specification was 31.5 to 37.5 amps; thus, our charging system amperage was acceptable. Because the no load battery voltage was only 13.32 volts, we connected our multimeter red lead to the positive post of the alternator, and we clipped the black lead to the negative battery post. The engine was again run at 2,000 rpm, and the voltage displayed on the meter was a steady 14.95 volts. We had lost (consumed) 1.63 volts between the alternator and the battery. We were closing in on the problem; it had to be either the positive or negative cable.

With our starter test results falling outside of the acceptable range and our charging voltage being a tad low as well, we tested the voltage drop (VD) of the positive battery cable. We again grounded the secondary coil wire. Using our multimeter, we connected the red lead to the battery terminal and the black lead to the battery cable end at the battery, and then we turned over the engine. The VD was 0.001 volt. Next, we moved the red lead from the battery terminal to the battery cable end, and we moved the black lead to the battery cable end at the starter. The engine was turned over, and the VD was 0.009 volt. Lastly, we moved the red lead to the battery cable at the starter and the black lead to the starter stud and turned over the engine. The VD was 0.002 volt. The acceptable VD of the positive side of the starter circuit is 0.5 volt. Our Dart had a total voltage drop of 0.012 volt. The positive side cable passed.

Next, we tested the ground side VD of the negative cable. The red lead of the multimeter was clipped to the case of the starter, and the black lead was touched to the bolt that grounded the negative cable to the block. The negative cable at the block was attached to the engine mount, which isn’t a factory installation point. The engine spun over, and the VD was 0.001 volt. Moving forward, we attached the red lead to the bolt where the battery cable attached, and the black lead was connected to the negative battery cable terminal end at the block. We turned over the engine, and the VD was 0.012 volt. Continuing, we moved the leads to each terminal end of the negative cable, and again we twirled the engine over. This time the VD was 1.6 volts, which was eight times the allowable VD for the ground side of the circuit. We could’ve tested the battery cable end to the battery terminal, but we had found our problem; it was the negative cable.

We contacted the reps at Classic Industries for a negative battery cable (PN MD2563, manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) $70.99) and a positive battery cable (PN MA2385, MSRP $142.99). A battery tray (PN MA2266B, MSRP $32.99), a battery tray brace (PN MA2267, MSRP $13.99), and a reproduction battery hold-down set (PN MA2462, MSRP $21.99) were ordered to secure a new reproduction battery (PN MD2467, MSRP $319.99). The battery is a yellow-capped, absorbent glass mat (AGM), group 24, maintenance-free battery that has the correct appearance for the 1965-1974 classic Mopars.

With the new parts on hand, we disconnected the battery cables from the battery (always remove the negative cable first). The aftermarket hold-down was removed and discarded. The battery was pulled from the engine bay. The negative battery cable was removed from the engine mount by unthreading the engine mount nut from the bolt. The nut was reinstalled on the engine mount because the new negative battery cable would be grounded at the factory location at the cylinder head. The positive battery cable was disconnected from the starter relay (at two points), and it was removed from the starter (also at two points). Completing the parts removal, four bolts were eased from the battery tray, it was pulled from the engine bay, and the battery tray brace was removed after unthreading one bolt.

The Classic Industries reproduction parts looked factory correct, and they all fit properly. The positive cable was installed first. It had the split starter lug and heat sheathing just like a factory cable, and it had the correct rubber insulator that properly fit into the bracket on the firewall. The battery tray brace was installed in the factory location, and the battery tray was laid in place. The battery tray was retained by three of the factory bolts and a new bolt that came with the brace. The ground cable was attached to the driver side cylinder head with the factory bolt that was not reused with the tray installation. Both the cables had the correct terminal ends on them. The yellow-top battery was placed on the battery tray, and the reproduction hold-down bracket and J-hooks were installed. The positive battery cable followed by the negative cable was installed on the battery.

Before we started our testing, we noticed there wasn’t a ground cable from the engine to the chassis, so we added a flat ribbon cable from the back of the engine to the firewall. Having a sufficient amount of grounds on a vehicle is the most important part of the electrical system, yet they tend to be one of the most overlooked parts. With our Dart, and more so with late model vehicles, grounds are unbelievably important to ensure all of the electronics operate correctly. Whenever a component is operating, but not performing correctly, check the grounds, and if necessary, add additional ground cables to the vehicle.

To test the new components, we grounded the coil wire, and the engine was whirled over without producing the laborious sound we had heard previously. Reading the VAT-40, we had a voltage of 11 volts and an amperage of 170 amps. Both of the numbers were in the acceptable range. We reconnected the coil wire and started the engine. At 2000 rpm, the no load voltage read 14.90 volts at the battery, and the voltage at the alternator was 14.97 volts. The VD of the charging system was 0.07 volts, which was excellent. Loading the charging system with the VAT-40 to 12 volts produced an amperage of 36 amps that was within the specification range. The battery, starting, and charging systems were now operating properly.

After the series of tests, the Dart is road worthy. Having a properly charged battery is required before any other testing. The starter must be supplied the proper voltage and amperage to adequately rotate, and the charging system must maintain the battery between 13.5 and 15 volts. If there’s a problem with the starting or charging system, performing voltage drop tests of the wiring involved with the circuit will place the spotlight on the failure. It’s on you to gather a quality multimeter, a load device, a jumper wire, a remote starter button, and a FSM, and then slip under the hood to diagnose the electrical problems of your Mopar.

Classic Industries set us up with two battery cables, a battery tray, a battery brace, a battery hold-down set, and a group 24 battery that features the correct markings and lettering specific to 1965-1974 models along with the correct yellow-colored top caps. All of the parts are reproduction components designed to fit properly … just like the factory parts.

The battery utilizes an absorbent glass mat (AGM) technology that offers not only enhanced performance and reliability, but outperforms factory batteries. AGM series batteries come fully charged (12.84 volts versus 12.60 volts with a lead acid battery) and ready to install. This battery is a maintenance-free top-post design with 750 CCA and measures 10 by 6-5/8 by 9 inches.

The positive battery cable features the correct lead length and markings. The cable is manufactured like the original, and it includes the wires for the split starter lug, the heat sheathing, and the insulator grommet to mount the cable to the firewall.

Both cables have the proper markings and the round head design, which is the correct style for our 1967 small-block Dart. The positive (red) cable end has a “P” cast into it while the negative cable end has an “N” stamped onto it. The hardware to tighten the terminal ends onto the battery terminals is the correct design to match the cable ends.

Our newly acquired Dart has a factory 273/2bbl combination. Although the engine starts, it turned over slowly when the ignition key was twisted. The battery was only four months old. The battery cables weren’t original, and they had temporary terminal ends on each of them. The battery tray was damaged, and the aftermarket battery hold-down was completely useless.

To test the slow cranking speed and poor charging output, the battery was tested with a Sun VAT-40. The battery had a CCA rating of 550 amps (at 0 degrees F). With the VAT-40 leads properly attached to the battery, the load knob was twisted to half the battery’s CCA (275 amps) and held for 15 seconds. The voltage on the VAT-40 dropped to 10.0 volts. The battery voltage remained above 9.6 volts during the load test. The battery passed.

With the battery eliminated from our list of starting and charging problems, we set up the VAT-40 to perform a starter draw test. The VAT-40 red and black leads remained on the positive and negative battery terminals, but the green inductive pickup was moved from the VAT-40 black lead to the negative cable at the battery.

To perform the starter draw test, the ignition or the fuel had to be disabled to allow the engine to turn over without starting. The older Mopars can have the ignition disabled by disconnecting the coil secondary wire and grounding it to an unpainted metal surface. We grounded the coil wire to the carburetor stud. We cranked the engine, and the starter draw readings were 10.5 volts and 150 amps; both numbers were below the factory shop manual specifications.

With the coil wire reattached, we started the engine. We were slightly concerned about the starter results, and the no load voltage (voltage at 2,000 rpm with all the accessories off) was only 13.32 volts measured at the battery with a multimeter (A), which concerned us greatly. The voltage should’ve been 13.5 to 15.0 volts. We moved the positive multimeter lead to the positive post on the alternator, and at 2,000 rpm, the voltage on the meter was a steady 14.95 volts (B). We had a voltage drop of 1.63 volts in the wiring.

The use of a remote starter button allowed us to spin the engine over and monitor the voltage drop on our meter. The positive cable was tested first. A series of three voltage drop tests resulted in a total voltage drop of 0.012 volt. The acceptable VD of the positive side of the starter circuit is 0.5 volt. The positive side cable passed.

With each voltage drop test, the engine was spun over. Using our multimeter, we connected the red lead to the battery terminal and the black lead to the battery cable end at the battery. The VD was 0.001 volt (A). Next, we moved the red lead from the battery terminal to the battery cable end, and we moved the black lead to the battery cable end at the starter. The VD was 0.009 volt (B). We moved the red lead to the battery cable at the starter and the black lead to the starter stud. The VD was 0.002 volt. The total voltage drop was 0.012 volt. The positive side voltage drop passed.

The negative battery cable was tested in the same fashion as the positive battery cable. There were four separate voltage drop tests performed to test the ground side of the circuit. The ground side voltage drop of the circuit should be 0.2 volt or less.

All the voltage drops were measured with the engine turning over. The red lead of the multimeter was clipped to the case of the starter, and the black lead was touched to the bolt that grounded the negative cable to the block. The VD was 0.001 volt (D). The red lead was attached to the bolt where the battery cable attached, and the black lead was connected to the negative battery cable terminal end at the block. The VD was 0.012 volt (E). We moved the leads to each terminal end of the negative cable, and this measurement of the VD was 1.6 volts (F), which was eight times the allowable VD for the ground side of the circuit. The battery cable failed. At this point a useless test, the voltage drop of the cable end and the battery terminal was 0.003 volt (G).

The 1.60 voltage drop on the negative battery cable caused the slow cranking speed. That voltage drop resulted in the starter getting less than 9 volts during cranking. Additionally, the alternator had been providing almost 15 volts, but the battery was being charged less than 13.4 volts. Replacing the negative battery cable would repair our starting and charging problems.

The negative battery cable was bolted to the engine mount. The installation was incorrect, and the cable was in poor condition. The insulation was damaged, and the copper under the insulation appeared to be exposed to the elements. It looked as though some of the copper strands were broken, which would result in a decreased cross-sectional area of the cable. All of these concerns could lead to the voltage drop the wire experienced.

The negative cable was removed and cut open. The cable didn’t look as bad as we had expected. There was some discoloration at the terminal end, and further down the cable, there was a bit of light green corrosion that could be seen on the cable. The cable was extremely stiff throughout the entire discolored area.

The broken battery tray and brace were removed. The new brace was installed with the factory bolt. The brace is shipped primed and ready to paint. Ours will be painted at some point in the future, but it’ll be in primer for now.

The AMD battery tray was installed in the factory location. The reproduction tray had all the holes located in the correct positions. The tray was installed with three of the factory bolts and the single bolt supplied with the new battery tray brace.

The cable and wire on the starter were removed. Even though the positive battery cable passed the voltage drop tests, the electrical tape wrapped on it looked terrible. The battery cable was also routed improperly, which placed it very close to the engine exhaust. The studs and the nuts were cleaned before the new cable was installed.

The Classic Industries positive battery cable had the properly shaped and angled terminal ends that fit properly on the starter lugs. The cable was the correct length for our Dart. It had the proper heat shielding, and the insulator grommet on the cable fit into the factory clip on the firewall, which kept the cable clear of the exhaust.

Two positive cable leads were attached to the starter relay. The new cables had adequate length to fit properly to the relay. Each lead had the factory-type wire ends. The plastic shield was reinstalled over the cable on the 12-volt stud.

The new negative battery cable was installed to the driver-side cylinder head (factory location). The cylinder head was cleaned at the ground point before the cable installation. The cable was secured with the one battery tray bolt that wasn’t reused with the battery tray installation.

The battery was placed on the battery tray. The group 24 battery was a flawless fit on the tray. There was no need for battery stands or shims to fit the battery.

The battery hold-down bracket fit over the top of the battery and located the J-hooks. The J-hooks slipped through the bracket and into the anchor holes located in the battery tray and the inner front apron. The factory-style washers and wing nuts threaded onto the J-hooks and secured the battery to the chassis.

The new positive cable end dropped onto the positive post without difficulty. If the cable hadn’t cleanly slipped onto the post, a terminal spreader tool could open up the cable end slightly to improve the fit of the cable. Don’t hammer either cable end onto the battery posts.

With the battery secured and the battery cables connected, the starter draw and charging systems were retested. Using the VAT-40 and the multimeter, the results of our tests were a starter draw of 11 volts and an amperage of 170 amps. At 2,000 rpm, the no-load voltage read 14.90 volts at the battery, and an alternator voltage of 14.97 volts. Loading the charging system with the VAT-40 to 12 volts produced an amperage of 36 amps. All of the results were in spec. The engine turned over faster, and the battery was being properly charged.

Other than the negative cable, the Dart didn’t have any additional ground straps on the engine or the chassis. We added this flat ribbon cable to the firewall and the engine block to help the electron flow. Ground cables are extremely important to have an accurately operating electrical system. If the circuit on a vehicle operates but not correctly, always check the grounds for increased resistance or an open.

There are a few differences between this AGM battery and a conventional battery. The yellow-top battery has a full charge of 12.84 volts. This battery is maintenance-free and doesn’t require acid or water to be added to it. The battery should never be charged above 15 volts and should only be jumped with another vehicle; don’t use a jumper box. If the battery is kept properly charged, and the above requirements are met, expect years of trouble-free usage.

They’re still out there. We’re the sixth owner of the Dart GT. It was assembled at the Los Angeles assembly plant and sold from Reseda Dodge in Los Angeles. It was originally silver, but along the way most of the Dart was painted YY1 yellow (except the firewall and radiator support). It’s a simple 273 2bbl, 904, 7 ¼-inch car with 13-inch wheels and four-wheel power drums. It needs work, but best of all, it’s rust-free.

The post Fired Up: Battery Cable Upgrade on a 1967 Dodge Dart appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network https://www.hotrod.com/articles/battery-cable-upgrade-on-a-1967-dodge-dart/ via IFTTT

[readingclubstuck]

Section 7 image descriptions

Full page descriptions for every page in section 7 with flashing images! Which was a lot. Damn you, Serenity. WV: Ascend will be its own post!

Trigger guide for this section is [link: here].

2589: WV: Use glowing green rock to open cans.

WV stands where the rock was. The screen periodically flashes green with BURP in white above WV, and his skeleton shows, with the uranium in his stomach above his pelvis.

Narration: You pick up the nugget of URANIUM and...

Oh that was so stupid. Why would you do that?

2609: ==>

[Panel 1] WV holds his hands to his face in amazement as cans of Tab flash back and forth beside him and the whole screen flashes various shades of pink.

[Panel 2] WV holds a can of Tab in each hand and looks wildly between them. The screen is tinted pink.

2610: WV: Consume several cans.

The screen flashes between WV pouring Tab into his mouth with the sound effect GLUG; four cans of Tab vibrating; and WV holding two cans of Tab that fountain over him. Everything is tinted pink.

Narration: You free the heavenly brown elixir from the jewels of pink carapace and imbibe like the wind.

It is so sweet and sugary. You wonder how so much sugar can fit in one can. Whatever mighty wizard concocted this potion is truly deserving of your fear and respect.

2615: WV: Type => SWITCH 2.

[Panel 1] The top right panel WV is looking at blinks off, and the top left one turns on. He turns to it.

[Panel 2] This shows a close-up of that screen; it shows the statue of the wizard Zazzerpan the Learned, missing a hand and part of his hat. A lock symbol blinks in the bottom corner of the screen, and the whole image is staticky and flickering.

Narration: You activate SCREEN 2.

The signal is garbled, and you have no idea what you're looking at. Some sort of filthy beggar pleading for help?

No one is around, And nothing is happening. You seem to be locked out of any sort of interaction with whatever's happening on this monitor.

2616: WV: Type => SWITCH 3.

[Panel 1] The top left screen blinks off, and the bottom left one turns on. WV looks at it.

[Panel 2] Dave, holding a broken katana, squares off against an orange sprite with a bird’s head and wings, and a sword through its abdomen. Li’l Cal lies in pieces on the ground. They are standing in front of a large air conditioning unit, the type used for a whole building. A lock symbol blinks at the top right corner of the screen, and the whole image flickers orange and staticky.

Narration: It's another one of these rapscallions. This monitor is locked too. You can't tell him what to do. Not that you really want to, since it just looks like more confusing nonsense to you.

You consider switching to SCREEN 4, but decide against it. You have a feeling that whatever's there would just confuse you even more, and you don't even really care all that much anyway.

2619: WV: Be the mayor.

WV stands proudly in the middle of the screen with his hands on his hips. There is a crudely-drawn hat on his head labelled HAT, with other crudely-drawn cans around him labelled BAMBOO SHOOTS, SEA WEED, PICKLES, and RADISHES. A plane made out of a can labelled ARTICHOKES flies by with a SHOOO noise. The roof of Can Town Hall is visible, and the firefly (again crudely-drawn) giving streaks of light all over the page. The background is light blue.

Narration: Enough of this nonsense. You are an important mayor and this absurd contraption has wasted enough of your time. You've got a city to govern with a carapaced fist! (Which is to say firm, yet polished, and supple as the situation demands.)

Anyway this will help you kill some time while you wait for that clock to count down.

2621: [S] WV: Lead your men to victory!

WV rearranges the cans seemingly at random across the board. Occasionally he throws some cans off the board to the floor. His movements seem jittery and he occasionally kicks the cans or nudges them around with a foot. He falls over and jostles the entire setup. The countdown clock shows on the sburb screen, which counts down through several hours.

A crudely drawn image of WV leading a parade of cans down a street decorated like Can Town appears briefly, then one of him driving a can of Tab like a car with the sidse effect VROOM. The images of WV drinking Tab in pink reappear, first the GLUG image and then the image of him making fountains of soda over himself. He holds the firefly in the amber, which flashes as the picture zooms in.

WV returns to the makeshift chessboard, then falls down as he realizes the white side has won, with “CHECKMATE” in white. He holds a Tab can marked with motor oil angrily, his thought bubble showing the symbols of the white and black king and a red X flashing over the white one. He accidentally pierces the can of Tab and gets soda all over his face.

The flash finishes with the countdown clock, which is now at 4 minutes 13 seconds.

Narration: You waste more than four hours on this tomfoolery.

2638: The words APPEARIFY appear on the monitor. A light flashes from the needle on the apparatus with the alchemical symbol on it, and a pumpkin appears on the pad with a dog face symbol on it.

2645: WV: Appearify Can Town.

The appearifier flashes, and a pile of cans, both food and Tab, appear. The firefly in the amber appears on top and then bounces down to the pad.

Narration: You nudge the numbers a bit more and appearify a bunch of cans. This is so much more efficient than walking back to the other room to get them.

You are to believe that time is at a premium, after all.

2646: WV: Deappearify the pumpkin.

WV beats on his head with his hands alternately while in the background crudely drawn images of WV wearing dunce hats flash back and forth. The background says DUMB over and over in purple.

Narration: Does this machine look like a DEAPPEARIFIER to you?? Honestly, the idea that an APPEARIFIER could both APPEARIFY and DEAPPEARIFY things is so laughably ridiculous, you would wish someone would DEAPPEARIFY your brain and REAPPEARIFY it with a brain that is more smart and less dumb.

2649: WV: Appearify firefly out of the amber.

WV holds the amber in which the firefly flashes. There is a flash, and he looks at the amber to find the firefly gone. He then watches as the firefly floats from the left of the screen over to him and lands on his head.

2650: ==> The firefly blinks on WV’s headwrap, scattering rays of yellow light. He looks up at her.

Narration: You release your blinky new friend. You will give her a name when something suitably whimsical occurs to you.

2651: WV: Adjust time dial to appearify rotten pumpkin.

Panel 1: The firefly blinks above WV’s head as he turns.

Panel 2: WV stands in the previous room that had become Can Town, before he sets up. The image is labelled “THE PAST”, and a green reticle focuses on the rotten pumpkin.

Narration: You and SERENITY consider new ways to waste more time with the APPEARIFIER. You are assuming she is a girl firefly even though you are not really sure that fireflies can even be girls.

You target the extremely tasty ROTTEN PUMPKIN that was sitting in the other room hours ago.

2652: ==> The appearifier’s screen says PARADOXIFY, and the appearifier flashes and appearifies a green pumpkin made of jelly. It quickly loses shape and becomes a pile of green sludge.

Narration: It seems the APPEARIFIER cannot appearify something if it will create a TIME PARADOX.

A GELATINOUS GHOST PUMPKIN appearifies and quickly dissolves into a pile of UNAPPETIZING SLUDGE.

2653: WV: Appearify the grate over the entrance to the facility.

Serenity flashes a message to WV as they both stand near the appearifier, jelly still on the pad—the word’s “LETS GO!!!” appear above her in Morse code.

Panel 2: WV adjusts the elevation dial of the appearifier to state ‘350.7’.

Narration: Serenity blinks a message of urgency. You nearly forgot that while trapped in amber she was witness to all your tomfoolery and dillydallying in the other room, and knows the timer is about to expire. It is time to get this show on the road and escape.

You reset the coordinates with the RIGHT GREEN BUTTON again, and this time only adjust the elevation by approximately 10 HUMAN MEASUREMENT UNITS.

2654: ==> The appearifier flashes and the bars to the grate appear on the appearifier pad, stuck partway through the gelatinous mass and white hot at the ends.

2655: [S] WV: Hasten to the exit post-haste!

Music with a tick-tocking noise plays. WV grabs a pumpkin and loads many cans into it, kicking some and stacking others. Serenity flashes in morse code HURRY UP! WV misses a can of TAB, which flies and lands on the green button with the map of the facility on it. WV picks up the top of the pumpkin and puts it down on the table display, then picks up the meterstick and combines it with the TRUSTY KNIFE and stabs around with it, before appearing to giggle and putting it behind him. Serenity asks, IS THIS REALLY NECESSARY???

WV drops the pumpkin top and then descends on it and eats it in a flash of sound effects like BURP, CHEW, and CHOMP. Serenity flashes THIS IS INCREDIBLY SILLY! WV picks up the pumpkin with a handle put through it and grabs a poker (still red hot) to use as a stick to carry the makeshift pumpkin knapsack.

WV goes to the small circular room in the center of the facility, Serenity following behind, and begins to climb the ladder, stumbling slightly. Sunlight appears from the hole previously covered by the grate and draws closer—then the music breaks (slows to a halt) and the gate zooms back out. WV falls onto the floor, and his items land scattered around him. The pumpkin lands opening-down on his head like a hat.

The last screen has the word “PSYCHE??” in purple, while WV beats his head with alternate arms below, crudely-drawn WVs with dunce caps flash back and forth all around, and the word DUMB scrolls across, both backwards and forwards